


The Overlap

by TheIneffableLily



Series: Free Falling [2]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Anal Sex, BDSM, BDSM Scene, Developing Relationship, Healthy Relationships, Kink Exploration, M/M, Nipple Play, Oral Sex, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Praise Kink, Sexual Experimentation, Teasing, There's a lot of talking in this one, and a lot of talking about relationships, and talking about limits, but also sex i promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:34:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27161198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheIneffableLily/pseuds/TheIneffableLily
Summary: He glanced at the building uneasily. “I haven’t done this since my twenties.”Joe found his anxiousness endearing. He said, “I promise you a sucker if you don’t fuss-”[sequel to FREE FALLING]
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Nicky | Nicolo di Genova/Other(s)
Series: Free Falling [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1982570
Comments: 46
Kudos: 398





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> What was supposed to be a short follow-up turned into a two-chapter monstrosity, as these things usually do.
> 
> WARNING for a brief mention of NEEDLE PLAY and FEAR OF NEEDLES - but don't worry. That isn't too long.
> 
> This chapter has a lot of talking and not a lot of sex, but don't worry. I promise kinkiness in chapter two.

After five hours, Joe’s shoulders and wrist were sore and the picture before him was beginning to take shape - and judging by its size, it’d either be his masterpiece or the piece that would finally break him. Andy would warn him to go for something less ambitious, but Joe had never listened to reason and he wasn’t about to start now that inspiration had finally struck. He’d often found that following the spark of madness worked out better than listening to Andy’s many warnings about time management and deadlines. Art, he’d told her repeatedly, should never live in fear of time.

Of course, they both knew that was a load of crap and two weeks before the exhibition Joe would be pulling four all-nighters while high on caffeine and anxiety because he’d grossly miscalculated how long it’d take to complete his very last work of art - which he’d claim to be essential to the exhibition because it was the best he’d ever done, but also the ugliest fucking thing he’d ever laid eyes on. Better to swear off art altogether and move to Amsterdam, where he’d open an edibles cafe and spend his days sampling the baked goods and being very chill.

When that day came, he’d be grateful for Andy’s low tolerance for his bullshit and for her ability to remain focused on a goal while he was losing his mind. But until then, he’d retrieve into denial and repeat the same mistakes because this truly would be the best work he’d ever created. It was ambitious, yes, but it was also deeply personal and unlike anything he’d done before.

Joe took a step back, flexing his fingers to get them to relax after hours of gripping the pencil. He might change his mind later, but right now he thought this would be a great opening piece, the first thing people saw when they walked into the room. Progress was slow and there wasn’t much to show for hours of work - ah, the joys of working with colored pencils! - but at least the vague concept he’d been working on had a shape, and the shape had a few sketches he could send to Andy. That would prove he was, indeed, working and not just running in circles in his head. She might even be impressed by how far he’d gotten in just three days.

 _I should pay Nicky a commission_ , he thought. He’d been stuck trying to figure out his next step for over a month, scratching most of his ideas just as they became a little more concrete. After three days of having that handsome man in his bed, however, his mind was finally unclouded and things were falling into place.

While working, Joe had to remind himself not to replicate Nicky’s profile or eyes, no matter how many times his mind wandered away from him. He’d been down that road before with previous lovers and it always ended in one of two ways: outrage or vanity. Usually the latter. Everyone wanted to be an artist’s muse, especially when said artist had gained some renown. Just to be safe, he’d made the subject’s features rounder and covered the eyes with a blindfold. He’d flirted with the idea of making it black leather, but a soft, blue, wrinkled fabric just looked so much better. He’d spent the last two days working on that alone.

“This is going to take forever,” he sighed to himself, equally distraught and excited. At least he’d finished the upper portion of the face, which now showed a pair of bushy eyebrows and the hint of brown skin - the subject would probably be Middle Eastern, he wasn’t sure yet. “Time to commit to it, then.”

He had to send Andy a picture of his progress and prepare himself for the thousands of questions that would follow.

Joe went upstairs to get his phone, bare feet thumping quickly on the stairs as he made his way to the third floor. He loved that house. A three-story brown-brick gem he’d only been able to afford because of his relatively recent success. It’d been a risky purchase, but he didn’t regret it one bit.

There was a message from Nicky waiting for him when he got to his phone and Joe smiled, knowing that his day was about to get better. Nicky had finally convinced him to let him leave on Monday morning and they’d texted constantly in between Joe’s manic drawing fits. Mostly idle chitchat, flirtatious innuendos and promises to go on a real date. Maybe they should do that today, Joe had earned a break after all of his hard work.

To keep himself from getting distracted, he went downstairs first and only opened the new message after he’d sent the pictures to Andy. Maybe he could invite Nicky over for lunch. And dessert. What dessert entailed he wasn’t sure yet, but there were more than a few options in his toy chest that he was eager to try on him.

The message read, “Hey, how’s the art going?” followed by a couple more texts some thirty minutes later, “I guess it’s going well. I’ll meet you at 11 then.” The last text said, “I’m leaving the house.”

Joe still had a moment of confusion before realization dawned on him.

“Shit!”

Joe checked the time. Five minutes to eleven.

He wrote, “I’m running a bit late but I’m on my way.” Then hopped into the shower.

——

He made it to the clinic at half past the agreed-upon time. Nicky was already standing on the sidewalk, fumbling with his phone. He had a light jacket on to protect himself from the cold April breeze.

Upon seeing him, he asked, “You okay?”

Joe panted, “Yeah… great… I just…” He took a deep breath. Ten blocks had never felt so far away. Maybe Andy was right and he was out of shape, no matter how good he looked with his shirt off. “I’m late. Sorry. Lost track of time.”

Joe gave him a kiss on the cheek. Nicky seemed startled by that, looking around like he expected someone to have a problem.

Joe stood back. “Is it okay if I do that?”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Nicky said, a smile spreading on his face. He glanced at the building uneasily. “I haven’t done this since my twenties.”

Joe found his anxiousness endearing. He said, “I promise you a sucker if you don’t fuss-”

“Shut up.”

Nicky gave him a playful push and walked into the building.

The woman sitting behind the front desk was a stranger to Joe, which was a good thing. Nicky didn’t need to know he was on a first-name basis with most of the staff, at least not on what was essentially their second time meeting. They handed over their EHIC and Nicky was given a form to fill out since that was his first visit.

He was still writing down his information when Joe returned from the restroom with a urine sample.

“You’re taking your time,” he said, sitting beside him in the waiting room, where half a dozen people were mutually ignoring each other. He peeked over his shoulder to read the name on the form. _Nicol_ _ò di Genova_. That was a beautiful name. He could see himself whispering it in his ear.

Nicky threw him a quick look, then focused on the form again. His thumb was working the clicker on the pen repeatedly.

“I’ve finished the form, I just want to keep the pen. It helps me relax.”

Joe frowned. “Don’t tell me you hate needles.”

“I don’t hate them,” he said, dead serious. “I’m _horrified_ of them.”

He spoke without a hint of shame, as though his fear of needles was serious business and he shouldn’t be mocked for it. Joe kept himself from saying he found the whole thing very cute.

“Don’t worry, Nicolò,” Joe told him, just so he could taste his full name on his tongue. “They’re very competent here.”

“Sure, I know, I know.” Nicky smiled awkwardly at him. “I don’t imagine there’s a kink for that.”

Joe could tell he was only trying to be funny, but he still answered, “For needles? There is.”

The clicking stopped. Nicky was looking at him now. “Wait, what?”

“I have a friend who’s into that.”

“Does he… like to give blood or-”

“She.”

There was a little pause, no longer than a heartbeat, and Nicky said, “I see.”

“She uses these tiny, thin pins. You have to puncture just the outer layer of skin.”

“Got it.”

“I asked her to teach me, but I couldn’t seem to get the hang of-”

“You’re not helping.”

Joe bit his tongue.

“Ah, yes, sorry. It’ll be quick. I’m sure you’re not even gonna feel-”

The clicking resumed. “ _Still_ not helping.”

“I’ll shut up.”

“Much appreciated.”

For a while, there was only the incessant _click-click-click_. Finally, Nicky got up and handed the form and the pen over. A few minutes later, he returned from the bathroom, handed over his sample, and sat next to Joe.

Before Joe could think of something comforting to say - maybe he should lean in and whisper his name right in his ear, see if that got a reaction out of him - Nicky spoke again.

“It’s not just the needles. What if he gave me something?”

“I’m sure he didn’t,” he said. He’d brought enough friends and partners to be tested to know that comforting lies were better than practical truths at that point. “You have nothing to worry about.”

In the absence of the pen, Nicky was repeatedly clenching his fists.

“I knew he’d cheated on me,” he continued as if he hadn’t heard a word. “But he’d sworn it’d only been one time. Towards the end, you know? It didn’t even occur to me he’d lied until you suggested I should get tested.”

Joe shrugged. “That’s okay, Nicky. I’m sure he was safe.”

Nicky scoffed. “He wasn’t. I told him last night that I was coming here and asked whether he’d like to tell me something. Turns out he’d been screwing the head of the lab where we worked for three months behind my back. And they weren’t exactly consistent with their condom use.” His apple bobbed up and down very slowly like he was trying to get a block of concrete down his throat. “If he gave me something-”

“No, we’re not going there,” Joe said, using a soothing voice he found worked best on these sorts of crises. He unclenched Nicky’s right fist and interlocked their fingers. His grip was stiff and refused to give, the same way they felt when they were having sex. Joe rubbed his back with his other hand. “Not before we have to. Until told otherwise, we’re going to be optimistic.”

“Sure, optimistic,” Nicky said, but those were clearly empty words. He shook his head. “Can’t believe I didn’t even _think_ about that before you mentioned it.”

Joe wanted to tell him there was nothing wrong with him and it was easy for those things to slip by, especially after being with only one partner for so long. It was alright. Everything was going to be alright.

Unfortunately, Booker walked into the waiting room and Joe only had time for one second of panic before his friend sighed heavily and announced, “God damn it, Joe! You’re back _already_? _Seriously_? Well, you know the drill by now. Follow me and drop your pants.”

Nicky was staring at him now. Along with the other people in the room. And the receptionist. Joe ignored everybody else and focused on Nicky, saying, “He’s my friend. He’s not- I don’t- I’ll be right back.” And stormed after Booker.

He found him grinning from ear to ear in one of the examination rooms.

“You’re what the English like to call a _bloody prick_.”

Booker laughed and closed the door after him. In scrubs, he looked almost respectable.

“That never gets old.”

“I thought you didn’t work on Wednesdays.”

“I had to cover for Alyssa. And then I saw your name.”

“Just my luck.”

“Why did you schedule a visit on my day off anyway?”

Joe hesitated. “It doesn’t matter why.”

Booker caught on surprisingly fast for someone who was probably still fighting a hangover.

“Was it the guy who was sitting next to you?”

“Doesn’t matt- Book!”

But Booker was already out in the corridor. Thankfully, he only wanted a quick peek and Joe didn’t have to tackle him to the ground. His face was neutral.

“He looks normal, but I think he’s going to be sick.”

“He hates needles.”

“Everyone hates needles. Well, not Andy, but the point stands.”

Joe rubbed his eyes, making a mental note to leave Nicky as far away from Booker as he possibly could. Andy would gladly tear into the poor man with invasive questions, but Booker was one of his oldest friends and knew too much about him, good and bad. He often focused on the bad for his own amusement.

“Can we please do this?” he asked. “I know you have other patients to see and I’d like to get Nicky out of here. He’s very uncomfortable and I think you made it worse.”

Booker sat down. “Alright. Let’s get this out of the way. You should know the questions by heart.”

“I don’t know the questions by heart.”

Booker threw him a look.

Joe sighed, defeated. “Last test was six months ago. I’ve had three partners since, including him. I haven’t had unprotected sex. I haven’t had any unusual symptoms.”

“You make my job really easy,” Booker said, scribbling down the answers. “Roll up your sleeve.”

While he was looking for veins in his arm, Booker told him, “Andy texted me this morning. She wanted me to bully you into painting.”

“Drawing.”

“Same thing.”

Joe feigned great offense. “You uncultured swine.”

“Art is overrated. Anyway, go do what the rich assholes pay you to do.”

“I’ve already started.”

“Really? Because she seemed to be under the impression you were having a long weekend with some guy you picked up at a bar.”

“I was. And then he left and I got to work.”

“Right.”

The pinch of the needle caused Joe to flinch. Maybe the reason he’d never gotten the hang of making beautiful patterns in skin-deep punctures was because he didn’t see the point of annoying little pricks when one could have the warm, broad pain of a paddle instead. But to each their own, he supposed, and Andy had always been braver than him when it came to experimenting.

“Is Nicky the ‘some guy’?”

Joe said, “Yes.” But refrained from adding anything else.

Booker wasn’t deterred.

“So you got locked away with a stranger for three days straight and now you’re getting tested together.”

Joe shrugged with one shoulder not to make his friend’s job harder. Booker was a good nurse and no longer drank on the job, but he wasn’t supposed to be working that day, which meant he’d probably drunk himself to sleep the night before. No reason to risk his luck.

“He didn’t really know where to go,” Joe explained. “I said he could come with me if he wanted to. I didn’t expect you to be a dick.”

“That’s your fault, really. You shouldn’t count on me being a better person.”

“Don’t I know it.”

Booker bandaged his arm and used a cotton swab to scrape his inner cheek.

“Should be twenty minutes. You can go cuddle with your boyfriend in the waiting room.”

Joe rolled his eyes. “We’re not going to cuddle. And don’t call him my boyfriend. I don’t want him to get the wrong idea.”

Booker scoffed.

Joe stopped before opening the door. “What?”

“Hm?” his friend asked in a tone that was vague and infuriating.

“What is it that you’re trying very hard not to say because you know I won’t like?”

Booker shrugged. “Isn’t getting tested together the equivalent of a gay proposal?”

“A gay proposal?” Joe repeated, repulsed by the choice of words. “Who even told you that?”

“I know other queer people.”

“You don’t even know other _people_.”

“I’m just saying I think he’s already got the wrong idea.”

Joe opened the door to leave. “You’re too straight at times, did you know that?”

“Doesn’t mean I’m wrong,” Booker shouted after him, but Joe decided to ignore that.

He went back to the waiting room. Nicky had already been called. As expected, there was a downpour of questions from Andy waiting for him when he finally looked at his phone. She started with the expected, “Are you kidding me? I mean, I love it. But are you fucking kidding me?” soon moving on to more practical questions, such as “how long do you need?” and “how are you going to remain sane throughout the process?” and concluding with “get that man off of whatever contraption you got him in and _answer me_.”

Joe wrote back.

“I’m out of the house. Come by later and we’ll talk.” Then, before he forgot, “Also, stop asking Booker to bully me into work. It’s annoying.”

Andy only answered, “I’ll come by at four.”

“I’ve got company. Can you come later?”

“I’ll come by at three.”

Joe knew better than to try his luck. “Four o’clock it is.”

Nicky came out five minutes later, looking very pale. Though there was an adhesive bandage on his right arm, he was still pressing down on it.

“You okay there, babe?”

Nicky sat next to him and said, “That took forever,” with a strained voice that made him feel sorry for the poor guy.

“On the bright side, you won’t have to do this again for a long time.”

Nicky exhaled through his nose. He looked very much done with that place.

“Your friend really likes this sort of thing?”

“Yeah. She’s the adventurous type.”

“I take it back.”

“Take what back?”

“This is worse than the cheating.”

Joe didn’t know if he was kidding or not, but he didn’t laugh, so he went back to rubbing his lower back. Nicky refused to relax.

“That nurse,” Joe said, hoping it’d distract him, “he’s my friend. Booker. He likes to embarrass me when he has the chance.”

Nicky looked at him.

“And he was just messing around. I don’t come here that often.”

“Joe, are you worried I might think ill of you?”

“I’m worried you might think I’m promiscuous and irresponsible.”

“I don’t think you’re irresponsible.”

Joe narrowed his eyes at him. There was a smirk in the corner of his mouth. It was much better than the worry.

“Oh, I see what you did there.”

Nicky’s smile was very tired, but it returned some life to his eyes. He settled against the back of the chair and Joe had the option of pulling his arm away, but it somehow ended up draped around Nicky’s shoulder.

 _Booker wouldn_ _’t approve_ , he thought. Then again, Booker hadn’t had a meaningful relationship in seven years. Definitely not his best source of advice.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Was needle girl your girlfriend?”

Joe looked at him.

Nicky said, “I had the impression she was. You don’t have to answer.”

“No, it’s fine. She’s wasn’t my girlfriend, we just got together when we were bored. But she’s been my agent for six years now, so we thought sleeping together was a bad idea.”

“I can imagine. I made the mistake of working with Mark and now I’m single _and_ unemployed.” He paused. “So she was something in between, then.”

It was a conclusion, but Joe could hear a question at the end of that remark that he wasn’t sure he was ready to answer, so he didn’t. For now, he’d rather have Nicky rest his head on his shoulder and find comfort in his presence. That was enough for him.

When Booker came out to give him the results of his HIV test, he was kind enough to keep his mouth shut at the sight of them, but the look he gave him spoke volumes.

 _Oh, I see you_ _’ve decided to break the poor sod’s heart. Can’t wait to say I told you so._

——

There was a purple bruise on Nicky’s arm when the bandage came off in one swift pull.

“Poor thing,” Joe said, his voice sugary sweet as he brushed his lips over the sensitive skin. “Let me kiss it better.” And he trailed up his arm with soft pecks of his lips until he could hide his face on the crook of his neck.

Nicky made a weak suggestion that they should take things somewhere more comfortable by the time their clothes were gone, but they never made it to the bedroom. Joe would have loved nothing more than to fuck him slowly, reprising the best parts of their weekend and maybe suggesting something new - there was a rope in a room downstairs, a beautiful shade of midnight blue that he’d been picturing against Nicky’s pale skin for days. But Andy would not be deterred by something as trivial as a beautiful man in his bed and she could sniff a lie a mile away, especially when it came from him.

In the name of brevity, Joe fucked him on the couch, coaxing Nicky to his lap with his big hands and without saying a word. He wished to whisper things in his ear that would make that good catholic boy blush, but he was too distracted exploring every inch of his body now that he had him straddling his lap. His thighs strained under his palms… his cock hard and begging to be stroked… and he responded so easily to the slightest touch. He soon learned that a hard squeeze around the neck made him go stiff and alert, but a tight, possessive grip on his throat made him sweet and malleable.

Nicky didn’t seem to know what to do with his arms and Joe just wished he’d thought to bind them beforehand. He tried to lean forward, but Joe pulled him back against him by the neck so that he was resting on his shoulder and he could control his pace.

“Slow now, babe. I want to enjoy you,” he told him once and Nicky started rocking more leisurely on his cock. He was so good at following, so prompt to obey. And the sounds he made, those quiet moans through closed lips and hisses through gritted teeth that just made him want to fuck him harder. Joe could fit a ring in that pretty mouth. That would make him more vocal.

Joe moved the hand on his cock up until his fingers were brushing Nicky’s lips.

“Open up.”

Nicky’s mouth tightened and refused to let go. He hesitated on his lap.

Joe kissed the back of his head.

“Be good for me, Nicky. Open up and don’t stop. Not yet.”

His lips only a little. Joe pushed two fingers inside gently not to startle him, shushing as he did so. Nicky made a gagging sound and his tongue retrieved at the first touch, but he didn’t fight the intrusion. Soon, his lips closed around him and he began to suck.

Judging by the way he was fucking himself on his cock, he liked it, but Joe still asked, “Is that okay?” and he hoped it was because he was out of breath and dangerously close to orgasm.

Nicky nodded frantically and found his own cock to stroke. His free arm flailed helplessly as he tried to find something to hold on to. He grabbed Joe’s hair and pulled - hard, so _perfectly_ hard - as he came with a choking sound that pushed Joe over the edge only a second later.

They were still out of breath a few minutes later when Nicky asked, “So that’s a quickie, is it?”

Joe stole a glance at his phone. “Seventeen minutes. I’d say it qualifies.” He sighed, contented. “I’ve had kisses that lasted longer than that.”

There was a sound of acknowledgment from Nicky.

“Is your arm feeling better?”

“Yes, but I think you made me sore in other places.”

Joe smiled without a trace of guilt. “What a terrible man I am.”

“Truly. Shame on you.”

“You can punish me later if you want.”

Nicky laughed and pushed off his lap. He teetered on weak knees but quickly found his footing and stood naked in the middle of his living room. What a gorgeous man he was. It might be too soon to draw him, but Joe couldn’t help but analyze every inch of him: the muscles on his shoulder, the line of his spine, the hairs on his legs, the shine of the sweat on his skin-

And a dull purple bruise on his ass that was in the process of healing. Joe stroked it with the back of his hand and Nicky glanced back.

“That one I don’t mind all that much,” he said and scurried to the bathroom with his clothes. Joe was too busy daydreaming to tease him for that remark. His thoughts were filled with images of purple bites and red welts, all of it framed in knots of midnight blue.

“Hey, the food is here,” Joe asked through the door a while later, already wiped clean and shoved back into his boxers. He had to shout over the sound of the shower. “Want to eat downstairs?”

“Sounds good. I’m almost done.”

Nicky met him when he was coming from the front door, smelling of his soap and fully dressed, unfortunately. Now he’d have to strip him all over again once the food was done. Oh well!

He got the containers open while Joe set the table by the bay window on the second floor. It overlooked the street and it was the perfect spot for a lunch date - a _first_ date, technically.

Nicky said, “God, what a view,” before taking a bite out of a spring roll.

“I know. It’s my favorite part.”

“What time is your agent getting here?”

“Around four. I’d tell you to stick around and meet her, but she’s terrifying and I think you’ve already had your fill of my friends with Booker.”

“It’s fine. I’ll just go home and start emailing resumes.”

“Where are you applying?”

“Security companies, or maybe I can be a mall cop.”

“That’s a sexy uniform.”

“Very funny.”

“No, I mean it. Get that job and bring it over. I bet you look hot in cheap polyester pants.”

Nicky smiled politely but didn’t laugh.

He ate his Pad Thai quietly.

Joe leveled his eyes at him. “Was that too much?”

“Sorry?”

“When I put my fingers in your mouth. Or the whole thing.”

“No, I told you it was fine.”

“Yeah, but it’s okay if you changed your mind. I mean, you really don’t need to go along with things just because I-”

Nicky shook his head emphatically. “No, that’s not it. The sex was great. Pretty great.”

“But it’s something.”

Nicky opened his mouth but closed it again.

“It’s nothing. I’m tired.”

“It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me,” Joe said. “But if you’re upset because of something I did, I’d rather know.”

“You didn’t do anything. I’m just gonna sound clingy.”

“You won’t. Tell me.”

Nicky sighed. “What are we doing?”

Joe shrugged, dismissive. “Having Thai. And having a pleasant conversation. And afterward, if you play your cards right, we might go back upstairs and try to get another quickie in before Andy gets here.”

“Might we?” Nicky asked with a little smile.

“Yes. If you woo me just right. But if you’re asking what we’re doing as in…” he motioned between them with the chopsticks, “this thing, I don’t know. I don’t need to put a label on it yet, but I like it.”

“I like it, too. I suppose I’m wondering if this is just sex.”

“I don’t know.”

Nicky waited like he expected him to elaborate. Or at least look as troubled as he did, but he didn’t. Not knowing where the new thing they had was going wasn’t something that worried him in the least.

“I mean, I was looking for sex,” Joe said, “but then you stayed the weekend and now I’m reconsidering it.”

Nicky nodded. “Right. And I was looking for a rebound. But you just asked to get tested and now I’m not sure if this means you’re only having sex with me or if you’re promising to have safe sex with other people-”

“That’s fair.”

“Or if you want to have unsafe sex with me for a month, and then get tested with someone else because you got bored.”

Joe didn’t answer.

Nicky winced. “I do sound clingy.”

“You don’t.”

“Eh, I do a bit.”

“No, it’s a valid question.” He put the chopsticks down. “Right. Cards on the table, then. I don’t usually do this, either. Picking a guy up for a one-night stand and spending the entire weekend with him in bed, and then jumping into unprotected sex. I wasn’t planning on doing that. I was having fun, and not just because of the sex. I enjoy your company. I can see this being something.”

Nicky got the last spring roll and shoved it in his mouth so that he wouldn’t have to say anything. Joe caught that and asked, “How about you?”

Nicky watched him from his chair, chewed food in his cheeks, and an unreadable expression on his face.

“Hm?”

“Well, you were looking for a way to get over your boyfriend. You didn’t have to stay for three days.”

Nicky blinked his eyes and lifted a finger as he went back to chewing.

“Aw, you thought you’d be off the hook if you had your mouth full,” Joe said, amused.

Nicky gave him a soft kick under the table and drank a large gulp of water to help the food down. But at least he was smiling.

“Fine, that’s fair. I didn’t have to stay.”

“Why did you?”

“I saw you naked.”

Joe choked on his drink, spilling water down his chest. Nicky had a red tint to his cheeks but a gleam in his eyes that was rather victorious.

“I feel very objectified.”

“Do you now?”

“Yes. I hope you do that more often.” Joe wiped himself dry. “But you’re deflecting.”

“And you’re not answering my question,” Nicky shot back. “I didn’t ask for a label. I asked if you’ll be safe with other people.”

“I’m not even sure there’s going to _be_ other people.”

“But there will be.”

“I don’t know that.”

“In all likelihood, there will be.”

Joe was going to give him an answer, but then something crossed his mind. This felt… familiar. He’d been in this argument before, it just tended to be a lot more straightforward than this.

“Joe?”

“Is it the bisexual thing that is giving you pause?”

That caught Nicky off guard and he didn’t have an answer for it.

“Oh, wow! I’m really tired of having this conversation with every gay man I meet.”

Joe collected the empty cartons of food and took it to the bin in the kitchen. Nicky followed him there but stayed near the door.

“This isn’t about your sexuality,” he said, but Joe had heard that so many times he could tell it wasn’t entirely honest.

“Right. So it’s the kink thing.”

Nicky surprised him by saying, “Yes. And the fact that you’re friends with your previous partners.”

“I’m not going to-” Joe started.

Nicky raised a hand. “I _don_ _’t_ think you’re prone to cheat because you used to date your agent. Or because you’re bisexual, for that matter.”

Joe wouldn’t classify what he’d had with Andy as dating, but he didn’t think this was the time to call him out on nuance.

“I don’t mind it,” Nicky said. “Really. I’m just wondering if maybe this isn’t where you see us going, a… friends with benefits type of relationship. Because I’m fine being some guy you fucked once. I’m even fine with being a friend you had sex with when you didn’t want to paint.”

Joe grumbled.

“What was that?”

“Draw,” Joe told him. “I don’t paint. I draw.”

Nicky stared at him, miffed.

“Fine,” he conceded. “You didn’t want _to draw_. My point is, I don’t need you to be my boyfriend. Mark and I were together for five years and by the time we broke up, we were engaged. If this is sex for the sake of sex, that’s okay. Maybe that’s just what I need right now. I’m fine doing this for fun. I’m not fine with you dumping me in a month because the sex is disappointing and then only showing up when you’re in the mood for something more…” He motioned vaguely, searching for the right word.

Joe’s arched brow only accentuated the frustration in his voice. “Do I even want to know where you’re going with this?”

Nicky seemed annoyed at that and he concluded, “Vanilla. I forgot the word in English. I wasn’t trying to offend you.”

Joe sighed and said, “Okay.”

Nicky blinked in confusion. “Okay?”

“You’re right.”

“About… which part, exactly?”

“Not about the part where you build up my sex life to be a nightly orgy where a parade of men and women line up in front of my bedroom door. That bit is a little insulting.”

“I didn’t mean-”

“But the gist of it was actually quite fair. You don’t want me to lead you on only to find out we’re not compatible, and I don’t want you to be heartbroken if I find out this isn’t what I want.”

“Yes.” He looked relieved to have his words repeated back to him in uncomplicated terms.

“So I’m going to think about it.”

“Good.”

“But I also think you should do the same. If I knew you’d been engaged, I wouldn’t have pushed you into getting tested with me so soon.”

“I wasn’t pushed.”

“Well, I would have waited longer not to give you the wrong impression.”

 _Something Booker will never know about_ , Joe thought to himself. _Or else I_ _’ll never hear the end of it._

Nicky said, “Okay. I think that’s fair.” He paused. “Your agent is on the way, so I should...”

“Yeah.”

Nicky went back upstairs to get his shoes and jacket. He came into the kitchen on his way out and said, “When you want to talk, just let me know.”

“I will.”

He seemed to want to come closer for a goodbye kiss, but thought better of it and turned around without another word. Joe waited until he heard the front door close before going back downstairs to continue to work.


	2. Chapter 2

Mark sent a text on Saturday saying he couldn’t come by because Ivan’s schedule had changed. Nicky felt bitter and left him on read for a good two hours before sending back a passive-aggressive “ok”. He’d been looking forward to ignoring his ex while he dismantled his office and loaded boxes into a U-Haul, muttering apologies the way he always did when he screwed up. But now, he had nothing to take his frustration out on.

He’d spent the rest of the week at the gym until his limbs were too sore to lift weights. Netflix provided some distraction for a few nights, but soon all that was left for him to do was to send resumes to companies that paid a fraction of what Merrick Labs had offered him. With nothing better to do, Nicky started packing Mark’s office himself. His ex would hate that he’d done all of the hard work, but tough luck. The previous week had been full of ups and downs and Joe wasn’t around to take his mind off of things. He might as well do something with his hands while commiserating over the end of his relationship.

It was easy to pin all of the blame on Mark, so Nicky did just that at first. After all, he’d made the decision of screwing another man behind his fiance’s back. Why dissect their relationship for faults and mutual failures when “he’s a cheating bastard” fit so well? Nicky should have seen it. From the start, Mark had always wanted to be needed, to look after another man who didn’t make him feel threatened in any way. Of course he’d gravitated towards Ivan, a small, bespectacled man who couldn’t hold his own in a fight and whom Mark was supposed to take a bullet for.

However, while that hurt, it hadn’t been the cheating that had doomed their relationship. Nicky reached that inevitable conclusion after three hours of sulking while trying to figure out the cryptic instructions of the IKEA manual. In retrospect, Nicky had to admit (begrudgingly) that Mark had a point. He’d started pulling away from their relationship some time before last Christmas. Maybe that was why Mark had gotten him that engagement ring.

“I want you to know that I am serious about this,” Mark had said, his voice full of emotion. He wasn’t a man who cried easily, so him being on his knees, with tears in his eyes, had caught Nicky by surprise. “I want to be here with you for the rest of my life. I want us to grow old together.”

He’d meant it, too, which just made the heartbreak a lot worse. But what had he expected? Mark had offered that engagement ring more like a compromise than a promise. He still didn’t feel comfortable holding his hand in public. He still wanted to keep his distance whenever they were surrounded by coworkers. Even at the odd double-date, Nicky felt more like a roommate than a romantic partner, no matter how many times they made love behind closed doors.

Mark wasn’t in the closet by any means and the very few hateful pricks who’d tried to raise a problem with his choice of partner were quick to regret it. But there were areas of his life he didn’t want his sexuality to touch. He’d explained as much, rationally the first time, then frustrated the second, and angrily by the fifth time Nicky had started that argument.

Think about the way others looked at them at work, he’d said. Think about job opportunities they’d lose because people were prejudiced and hateful. Think about the snide remarks and the locker room jokes they already had to put up with from people who claimed to be fine with it. Why make themselves a target? Why rub in their faces the one thing they’d rather not think about?

Nicky understood that. He didn’t fault him for being private. He’d been a priest and he understood how survival and mental health sometimes depended on secrecy. The army had shaped Mark in a similar mold the Church had used to shape him. He just couldn’t help resenting Mark for never daring to break free.

They were at an endless tug of war, each pulling in one direction, hoping the other would fall over to their side. In the end, Mark had left the fight altogether and moved on to a man who didn’t ask him to make promises he couldn’t keep. Someone who, in Mark’s own words, didn’t have “a chip on his shoulder and something to prove.”

Nicky pulled at the stubborn piece of plastic that fixated the bookcase to the wall. It came loose, bringing along a good chunk of plaster. Great. Just great. The landlord was going to _love_ that.

“Fuck this. I need a break.”

He went to get a beer from the fridge and check if Joe had sent him any new messages, but their last exchange had been on Friday night and nothing new had come through since then. He’d claimed he’d be unreachable for the next three or four days and, before Nicky could jump to conclusions, he’d added, “Andy needs me to go to Berlin and meet with some gallery owners. I don’t want you to think I’m blowing you off in case you try to call. I’ll just be really busy.”

At least Joe was honest. Or had the decency to lie more convincingly. Nicky wasn’t sure which one was worst. He answered, “Ok. Thank you for letting me know.”

It must have read a little too cold because Joe added, “ It’s a business trip. We’re not sharing a bed.”

Nicky replied, “You don’t owe me an explanation.”

The word “typing” floated underneath Joe’s name for an unnerving amount of time until a final message came through, “I thought I should let you know anyway. I’m still thinking about what you said.”

He answered, “I’m thinking too.” After a minute, he added, “How’s the art?” to which Joe replied, “I’ve made a lot of progress. Everyone is very surprised.”

That had gotten a chuckle out of him, but Nicky wasn’t laughing now. He’d gone over their exchange several times in the last 24 hours and the more he thought about, the less he believed he’d hear from Joe again.

Nicky shook his head and left the phone in the kitchen so he wouldn’t be tempted to check it every five minutes. It was better to get back to packing and try not to think of Mark or Joe - or about Andy, who was probably fucking him on a luxurious hotel bed in Berlin.

——

After Nicky decided he’d never truly understand the mysterious ways of IKEA, Nile returned from her trip on Sunday and came to his rescue, disassembling the rest of the office much faster than Nicky ever could. To reward her, Nicky prepared a homemade gnocchi recipe he’d learned from a kind nun twenty years prior and that was still his favorite. It also had the bonus of taking a lot of work and dedication so it’d keep him occupied while Nile worked.

He gave her an overview of “the Mark situation” over dinner.

“Bastard,” she said when he was done relaying the experience at the clinic, leaving Joe out of it. “When he comes back crawling, you’re not giving him a second chance.”

Nicky shook his head. The side of him that had clang to the hope that there was still a way to fix things with Mark had officially died on Wednesday when Joe had reached for his hand in a waiting room full of people as if it were no big deal. Nicky liked having that. He hadn’t even thought aboout how much something so simple had been missing from his everyday life.

“He’s not gonna come back crawling,” Nicky told her. “It’s for the best. I think we want different things.”

She was looking at him over a forkful of gnocci.

“What?”

“That’s a lot of growth in just ten days. When I left, you didn’t want to get off my couch. Now you’ve packed up the rest of his clothes and you’re ready to move on?”

He shrugged and asked, “How’s Agent Moose?” so she wouldn’t have the chance to pry.

Nile relayed her own relationship drama - which paled in comparison. She had a good man back in her home town and Nicky was fairly certain that he loved her. Nile referred to him as “Mr. Bad Timing” because they only seemed to get together when one of them was living overseas. Still, he knew Nile went back home every six months to see Agent Moose just as much as her own family.

“What a tragedy, isn’t it?” she told him when they were doing the dishes.

“What is?”

“Meeting the right man at the worst possible time.”

His mind wandered away from him and found Joe’s face, half-pressed against his pillow and staring at him with adoring eyes. Nicky made a noncommittal sound, but he couldn’t agree more.

——

By Tuesday evening, Nicky was coming to terms with the possibility that he’d been ghosted when Joe finally sent him a text.

“Hey. I got my results this afternoon. I’m clean.”

Nicky checked his email and a huge weight was lifted off of his shoulder. He texted back, “I’m good, too.”

Joe answered almost immediately with a smiley face. Then, he typed for a long time.

“I got back last night. I don’t want you to think I was checking just so we can have sex, but can I come over? I want to talk.”

Nicky thought for a moment, then wrote, “I wouldn’t mind the sex.” And hit send.

Joe took a couple of seconds to answer, “I still want to talk first.”

Nicky sent him his address and, an hour later, Joe knocked on his front door. Before Nicky could say anything, he was handed a mug.

“I got you a souvenir. But it was dull, so I… here.”

Nicky looked at it. There was a picture of the Brandenburg Gate on it and it looked like a cheap souvenir one might pick up at a tourist shop. But Joe had used a permanent marker to draw a little stick figure of himself on top of the building, waving at him with a pencil at hand. He hadn’t added much detail beyond a beard and curly hair and a speech bubble that read, “Look at me, Nicky!”

“They actually pay you to do this?”

“Oh yes. Thousands of dollars. Turn it over.”

On the other side, he’d clearly spent more time getting a small picture of his face right. Mug-Nicky was _very_ disappointed, his face resting in his hands while clouds of smoke came out of his ears. Over his head, the words said, “I had sex with an artist and all I got was this shitty mug.”

That got a chuckle out of him. He said, “And a bruise on my ass.”

“Pardon me?”

“You should have added ‘and a bruise on my ass’ on the bottom.”

“Oooh…” Joe said, looking genuinely disappointed in himself. “That would have made it so much funnier.”

“Yes, I’m a comedy genius. So this is an original art piece by…” Nicky searched his mind, but realized he didn’t know his last name. Or his first. “Joseph?”

“Al-Kaysani.”

Nicky nodded. “An original Joe Al-Kaysani.”

“Yusuf Al-Kaysani. But no one ever got that right when I was growing up, so I just went by Joe.”

“No one ever gets Nicolò right, either. Try to explain to an English speaker what an _accento grave_ is.”

Joe said, “I don’t know. I like Nicolò. It’s a beautiful name.”

Nicky tried not to think too much about how nice his own name sounded in Joe’s voice. He said, “Thank you. Yusuf. And thank you for the mug. You didn’t have to do that.”

Nicky stepped aside.

“You have a nice place,” Joe said as he sat in the living room and Nicky went to get him a glass of water.

“Yeah, but I’m gonna have to move once the lease is up. I can’t afford this address on what most companies are paying.”

“No luck with the job search?”

“None. How was your trip?”

“Ugh, it was dull at first. Then I had dinner with my mother and it became very passive-aggressive. Then I went back to business and it got dull again.”

Nicky handed him the glass of water and sat down next to him. Close enough to reach out and touch if he wished to, but not so close that their legs would accidentally brush together. Joe was already looking rather irresistible in black jeans and a tight sweater and Nicky would rather keep his wits at least while they talked.

Joe sipped his water. “So, since I had a very dull time, I had time to really mull over what we talked about.”

“Yes?”

“And I found myself wondering what you hope will come out of this thing we have.”

Nicky felt a little annoyed. “Didn’t we have this conversation already?”

“No, this is different,” Joe argued back, but in good nature. “Generally speaking, when you’re in a relationship, what do you expect from it? Are you looking for a husband, a… guy to share a nice apartment with? Do you even have an end-goal at all?”

“Ooh…” Nicky said, his annoyance quickly turning to embarrassment. “I’m… about to send you running from this apartment.”

“I’m braver than you think.”

He still didn’t say anything.

“Marriage?” Joe guessed. “I don’t think that’s scary at all. Hell, I’m not even opposed to-”

“I want to have children.”

To his credit, Joe didn’t run, but there was definitely a pause for thought as he transitioned from his “that’s fine” rant to a neutral, “I see.”

Nicky held up his palms. “You asked.”

“I did. So that’s-” He cleared his throat. Downed a gulp of water. Took some time to swallow it. “That’s it, then.”

“That’s it. That’s what I want. It’s the reason why I left the Church. I decided that I wanted to have a family some day. And I would rather do that with a man I love but-” He shrugged. “I don’t know. I might have to do it alone at this point.”

“I… see,” was all that Joe managed to say.

“I won’t be offended if you want to leave.”

“I don’t want to leave.”

“Still, I understand if this is too much,” Nicky continued. “I just wanted to get Mark out of my head when I ran into you. And I did. And then you helped me get tested, which was kind of you. But if you ask me what I’m looking for, that’s it. It children aren’t in your plans, then let’s just be honest and admit this thing we have has an expiration date.”

Joe started to say, “Maybe I’ll-” but then he stopped and collected his thoughts while he drained the rest of the water. “Saying that I _might_ want children some day wouldn’t be fair to you.”

“No,” Nicky agreed. “It really wouldn’t.”

“You’ve clearly made up your mind while I haven’t and I’d feel like I’d be leading you on, so… yeah, I think it’s safer to assume this is a purely sexual arrangement.”

Nicky nodded. He’d been expecting that answer. Joe seemed to be a nice guy, but he was definitely fickle. In a month or so, either Nicky would come to his senses and move on to something more stable, or Joe would find someone more interesting to have no-strings-attached fun with.

Then again… that still meant thirty days of the best sex Nicky’d had in months. Possibly his entire life.

Joe was speaking again, “To answer your other question, I won’t actively search for other partners while I’m with you.”

“I’m not asking you to do that.”

“I know. But for however long we can keep this thing, I think you’re enough.”

“Yes, but,” Nicky argued, trying very hard not to think of the sweetness of those words, “there are things you’d like to do that I probably won’t want to.”

“And there are things you’d like to do that I probably won’t want to,” he stated, like it wasn’t an issue. “I’m no stranger to monogamy, Nicky. We find common ground and we compromise.”

“I mean no offense when I say this, but I’m pretty sure the list of things that I wouldn’t do is considerably longer than yours.”

Joe frowned at that and Nicky braced himself for a lecture. Instead, he asked, “I could make you a list.”

Nicky blinked at him, unsure of what he was offering. “Pardon me?”

“I could write down the things I enjoy and you could write down the things you enjoy and we could compare. Simple as that. Worst case scenario we find out we only share a love for bondage and that’s all we’ll do.” He paused. “Actually, worst case scenario you block my number somewhere around page two.”

“How many pages were you planning on writing?”

“I’ve been told I’m verbose when I’m excited. So, what do you think?”

Nicky decided that an honest answer ( _I don_ _’t think I want you to see that much of me._ ) was more than he was willing to handle that night and settled for, “That sounds very silly.”

“I usually just have an eye-to-eye conversation about these things. Would that be-”

“No. Not at all. Lists will do.”

Joe laughed. “Then it’s settled.” His hand rested on Nicky’s and stayed there.

Nicky asked, “Was that all that we had to talk about?”

“Pretty much. And I meant it, I can just leave. In case you’d like some time alone to mull it over.”

“I know,” Nicky said.

Joe scooted closer, his movements cautious as if expecting Nicky to ask him to get out. He didn’t. When Joe opened his mouth again - probably to say something sweet, or to ask again if this was okay, or to make him laugh - Nicky leaned over and kissed his open lips. Joe ran his fingers through his hair and let them rest on the back of his neck.

“Let’s go to your place,” Nicky said, mouth still so close to his it took all of strength not to keep on kissing him.

Joe breathed warm air on his lips, “I think your bed is closer. Besides, I did promise you a sucker and I don’t think I’ve made good on that promise.”

“You haven’t. But I think you’ll find my bondage devices to be rather limited.”

Joe pulled back just enough to look him in the eye. He seemed to be fascinated by what he was seeing.

“Oh, Nicky, is that how you spent your weekend? Thinking of being all tied up again?”

He didn’t want to answer and the way Joe looked inside his eyes like he was reaching for his soul made him want to recoil and hide. He tilted his head back, offering his neck so he could look away. Joe didn’t push and left kisses on Nicky’s throat that made him shiver.

“I don’t need anything other than you, Nicky. I’m a very resourceful man.”

The way he said that - the way he was looking at him like he was about to pounce - put a nervous flutter in the pit of Nicky’s stomach. Next thing he knew, Joe was pushing him back on the couch.

——

Nearly a week of abstaining from the other man’s body and Joe was pretty sure he was having withdrawal symptoms. Or at least Andy seemed to think so, accusing him of moping as their trip came to an end.

“You’ve got it bad, old friend,” she’d told him, grinning from ear to ear at his distress as they shared a bottle of wine.

 _If only you could see him now_ , Joe thought, climbing on top of Nicky to kiss him again. _If only you knew the way he looks at me._

Those soft, startled, green eyes were addictive. The way he gazed into Joe’s with that hint of fear and a lot of curiosity… it stirred something primal in him.

“The things I wanted to do to you, Nicolò,” he whispered in between neck kisses. “I couldn’t keep my head straight the entire trip just thinking about it.”

Nicky found his mouth and kissed him deeply, pulling him so close it was as though he needed Joe’s lips more than he needed air. Joe sneaked his hands under his shirt and started to pull it up. When they finally broke away from each other, he took his chance and pulled his t-shirt over his face. Nicky tried to pull it off, but Joe held his hands back.

“No. Don’t move.”

Nicky did as he was told, staying absolutely still as Joe sat up and adjusted the fabric in a way that was covering his face from his chin up. Nicky’s arms shifted over the arm of the couch.

“Can you breathe, babe?”

“Yeah.” He inhaled sharply and exhaled slowly through the thin, green fabric. “Yeah, it’s fine.”

His legs fidgeted in between Joe’s. A three-seat couch didn’t leave much space for the both of them to move, so Joe took a moment to rearrange them, sitting back in between Nicky’s spread-open legs.

He looked down on him.

“You’re absolutely gorgeous.” He unbuckled his belt. “I missed touching you.”

Nicky sighed. He started hooking his left leg around Joe, welcoming him closer, but Joe got up from the couch and moved up his body. He fit his belt right below Nicky’s elbows and tightened it as much as he could. It still allowed him space to move and Joe didn’t think it’d be difficult for him to wiggle free of it, but he was confident that Nicky wouldn’t even try.

“See? Quite resourceful, if I do say so myself.” Sat on the edge of the couch. “Does that hurt?”

“No.”

“Do you remember the safeword we used the last time?”

“Red. And stop.”

“Good. Very good. We’re just gonna use red this time. Okay? So if you want to stop, or if you’re hurt or you’re not enjoying yourself, you can just say red and tell me what’s wrong.”

“Okay.”

“Yeah? Let’s see if you’ve got it.”

Joe squeezed Nicky’s sides, making him jolt. His fingers found the soft pouch of his belly and squeezed again until Nicky was laughing and trying to wriggle away from him in the limited space he had.

“Oh no! _No_! Don’t even- _quit it_!”

Joe slowed down just a little so that he could breathe through the growing laughter but didn’t pull his hands away.

“What do you say, Nicky? Come on, you know this-”

“Red! Red!”

“There we go.”

He let go and adjusted the shirt over his face again.

Nicky panted in between happy giggles. “That’s not fair. I’m all tied up.”

“What, you can’t kick my ass, all of a sudden?”

“Oh, I definitely could,” he said, nonchalantly. “But I don’t think I will.”

Joe kissed him just above the belly button.

“I think you like being all tied up.”

Nicky’s belly recoiled at the brush of his beard, but Joe continued up until he found his left nipple to run his tongue over. Nicky let out a sigh from behind the shirt.

“So beautiful… my good catholic boy-”

“No,” Nicky said, suddenly alarmed. “No, don’t- don’t call me that. Please.”

_Oh shit._

Joe pulled back leaving only a reassuring hand on his chest.

“Sorry. Did your ex used to-”

“He did. All the time. When we were-” He swallowed the rest of the sentence. “Call me something else.”

“Sorry, babe.” He went back to teasing his nipples, this time stroking them lightly with his thumbs as he paid close attention to Nicky’s body. It took a little while for the tension in his muscles to dissipate, so Joe kept his voice as soft as his touch. “I can call you Nicolò. How is that? You have the most beautiful name.”

“I think that’s fine.”

There wasn’t much enthusiasm in his voice.

“Hmm, no. I can do better than that.”

He moved his thumbs to tease around the hardened, pink skin. Nicky’s chest expanded with a deep intake of air.

“You can pinch them. If-if you want.”

Joe made sure the smirk came through in his voice when he said, “I know I can, Nicky. But I’m not in a hurry.” He pulled one hand away and stroked his erection through the sweatpants. Nicky’s legs parted and he pushed towards his open palm. “I know how much you liked it the last time I made it hurt. You might come in your pants if I’m not careful.”

He was rolling his hips, trying to press harder against his hand, but Joe kept it just out of reach.

“So desperate already. _Beautiful_ Nicolò.”

The new title gave him no pause and he continued to squirm under his hand.

“Take them off.”

“Not yet.” He bent over and let his teeth scrape his right nipple, causing Nicky to hiss and arch his back. “What if I called you my brave Nicolò. How does that sound?”

To his surprise, Nicky said, under his breath, “Call me something dirty.”

Joe unzipped his jeans and freed his cock to give it a hearty stroke with his free hand.

“Ask me again, babe,” he rasped, hovering just above his covered face. “Say it _exactly_ like that.”

For a moment, Joe didn’t think he’d do it, that shame would get the better of him and he’d have to coax the words out of his mouth with promises and soft words. But then Nicky spoke, “I want- call me something dirty. Something he’s never called me.”

Joe enjoyed the steady touch of his own hand while kissing Nicky’s chest. The next time he reached for his lover’s erection, he sneaked under the waistband of his pants and wrapped a firm hand around him. Nicky made a quiet sound behind closed lips.

“What to call you?” Joe mused, working both of their lengths. “I can call you a slut. Would you like that?”

Nicky’s body shivered underneath his lips.

Andy had a way of calling him that and other wonderfully horrible things that made Joe retrieve to a dark corner in the back of his mind where nothing could reach him and it was safe to feel small and vulnerable. But he didn’t think cruelty would do much for sweet, experimental Nicky, so he tried to drench that ugly word in as much affection as he could.

“Do you want to be my slut, Nicky?”

He squeezed harder. He could hear the ragged breathing coming from his open mouth. There was a short, hesitant nod. Joe let go of his cock and traced the silhouette of his profile with a finger. Such a handsome face, the likes of which artists had always tried to replicate but always fell short.

“Don’t stop,” Nicky whispered to him. “Please…”

Joe grinned. “Eager little slut.”

And Nicky sank into the cushions, already subdued by the sound of that word alone.

Joe stopped stroking himself and lifted the shirt past Nicky’s chin just to kiss his mouth. Nicky parted his lips and let Joe do with him as he wished, offering no resistance to the tip of his tongue when it slipped in.

“Brave, beautiful slut,” he breathed out against Nicky’s wet lips. “How are you doing?”

“Good. Don’t stop.”

“I won’t. I’m far from done.” He covered his mouth again and spent a moment stroking his side, waiting for his breathing to grow steady again. “Do you think you can handle a little more pain tonight?”

“Yeah.”

Joe smiled fondly down at him. “Don’t just say that because you’re high on sex, babe. I’d hate to ruin this for you.”

Nicky chewed on the fabric of his shirt, but his answer didn’t take long to come. “I want it. Please.”

Joe held his right nipple with thumb and forefinger. Nicky waited for the pain that didn’t come.

Joe asked, “Do you have clothespins or-?”

“Kitchen. Top drawer.”

He answered so quickly Joe wondered if the thought had been in his head while he’d been away. After all, he’d spent most of his boring meetings letting Andy do all the talking while he dreamed about how some of his nipple clamps would look like on that beautiful man.

“Is it okay if I step away for a second?”

He got a nod in response, so he got up. Joe got rid of his jeans and sweater and gave Nicky’s chest one last kiss before going to the kitchen. Everything was meticulously cleaned and orderly, nothing like Joe’s mess of a kitchen that went unused most of the time. His eyes fell on the pictures on the fridge - a pretty black woman laughing with Nicky in some hiking trail, and a handsome man of thirty-something with sandy hair who was sitting beside a smiling Nicky in a restaurant booth. Though he’d only given it a glance, Joe decided that Mark looked like a sod. A judgmental sod. With a small dick.

It was easy to locate what he was looking for: two white plastic clips with rubber ends, the kind used to seal food bags. He tried one on the tip of his finger. It had a fierce grip, he’d much rather have something he could adjust to Nicky’s comfort, but they’d do.

Joe went back to the living room. In the twenty seconds that he’d been away, Nicky had managed to wriggle out of sweatpants and gotten them down to his knees. His cock was resting on his belly, hard and begging to be touched. Instead, Joe dropped the clips on the coffee table and tackled his armpits with his fingers, putting more pressure than he had before. Nicky hollered with laughter immediately.

“I didn’t say you could take those off, slut.”

Nicky twisted and squirmed and let out a string of pleads that were punctuated by cackles and kicking and something angry in Italian. But Joe pulled away before he had the need for the safeword.

“You enjoy that, don’t you?” Nicky panted.

“Making you squirm? I do,” Joe admitted, not even a little ashamed of himself. “But I think you do, too. Just a little.”

Nicky didn’t say anything, but Joe could see the shape of a smile under his green shirt.

Joe pulled off the sweatpants and tossed them on the floor before sitting in between Nicky’s legs. The thighs fell open, so inviting Joe had to fight the impulse to just fuck him. He leaned closer and rubbed the plastic tip of the clip against Nicky’s nipple.

“This is going to hurt more than last time,” he said, his tone a gentle warning. “If it’s too much, you can tell me, but try to push through for a few seconds if you can. Just to see if you like it.”

“Okay.”

Joe held the other end and tried to control the pinch as the rubber closed on Nicky’s skin, making him let out a pained sound. He could see the shape of his mouth opening and gasping for air under the fabric of his shirt. Then, he quieted - and then he keened a little louder. Joe had been on the receiving end of much fiercer devices and he loved that moment when the pain subsided for only a second before burning brighter than before.

Joe teased the other nipple with slow circles and pinched it carefully with the other clip. This time, Nicky let out an Italian word that sounded like an angry curse. His hand soothed Nicky’s chest and belly. Against his palm, he could feel his heart racing and his lungs expanding as he did just as Joe had instructed the first time: deep breaths.

“Is that too much?”

“Yes,” Nicky said, but immediately followed that with, “Leave them on.”

“Do you like them?”

“I don’t know.” He took a shuddering breath. “But leave them on.”

Joe kissed down his stomach, pleased with that answer.

“Such a good… brave… handsome slut.” He nibbled the inside of his thigh. “Be very still.”

Without warning, Joe ran his tongue from the base to the tip of his cock. Nicky keened and whined and strained against the belt that was keeping his arms above his head.

“Oh, you’re right on the edge, aren’t you? I’m gonna have to do this slowly, really take my time with you.”

Nicky let out a desperate little sob that could have been pleasure or despair - either way, Joe was determined to get that out of him again. He sucked on the head of his cock and twirled his tongue around it gently, hands firm on his hips so he could thrust into his mouth. Nicky was right: he did love to make him squirm. It might be his new favorite thing.

Even though he was eager to see him come undone, Joe took his time, teasing the tip of Nicky’s cock, kissing his length, biting the inside of his thighs. To have him wide open and vulnerable like this was a thing of beauty and Joe didn’t want to end it too soon. He enjoyed the sounds he made too much - the quiet whining of pleasure and pain, and the occasional hissing when Joe pulled away too long and he was reminded of the bite of the clips on his chest. It had to be blissful, that horrible sting trying to distract him from the warmth of Joe’s mouth.

Joe took him entirely in his mouth, letting it tickle the back of his throat. That earned him a sharp intake of breath and a moan that was quickly swallowed back. So shy… always ready to pull back whenever he was about to dive too deep.

Joe pulled him out of his mouth and reached up to pull the shirt above his lips. Nicky didn’t fight it when he pushed two fingers in.

“That’s it, babe. Suck on them like you did last time.”

He closed his lips around Joe’s fingers and did as he was told. When Joe pressed the slick fingers to his back entrance, Nicky only spread his legs further and welcomed him in with a sigh of absolute joy.

“Don’t hold back, babe,” Joe said. “I already adore the sound of your voice.”

He took all of him in his mouth again and sucked gently while pushing his fingers deeper in.

Nicky let out a strained, “ _Fuck!_ ” and then a litany of Italian curses or prayers - Joe didn’t know, but he loved the sound nonetheless. Soon his fingers pressed the right spot and the words stopped making sense, merging into breathless sounds that meant nothing other than pure joy as he came down Joe’s throat.

Joe lapped at the sensitive tip of his cock with a very gentle tongue, taking in every last drop of his orgasm and feeling rather satisfied despite his own erection. He gave it just a stroke before getting back on the couch and pressing the clips open.

Nicky hissed at the pain. There were deep indents on his skin and he’d probably be sore for a while.

“How are you feeling?”

“Good.”

Joe waited for him to say something else.

“Just good?”

Nicky sighed. “Can’t… words…”

Joe laughed. Oh, they were definitely doing that again soon.

“Poor slut. Let me get this off of you.”

He unbuckled the belt and took the shirt off, revealing dazed, green eyes that looked a little wet but happy.

“Sit up. Are your arms numb?”

Nicky shook his head, then fit it on the crook of Joe’s neck. Joe got his arms around him.

“Does it still hurt?”

“Not bad.”

Nicky sighed happily and teased Joe’s erection with his fingertips.

“You know… I almost asked you to fuck me,” he stated, his voice miles away. “But I thought it’d be too much.”

Joe closed his eyes and nuzzled his hair.

“It’s fine… I don’t want you to push too hard.” Joe sighed, contented. “You sell yourself short, you know? I think that list you’ll write is going to be longer than you expect.”

Nicky made an amused sound, masturbating him absentmindedly. Joe swallowed down what remained of his taste in his mouth as he came closer to orgasm.

“That’ll be hard,” he said, breathless and joyful.

“What will?”

He grinned from ear to ear.

“Choosing what to do to you next,” he said before coming in Nicky’s hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you ask me if there's going to be more... I don't know. If you never hear from me again, know that these two probably got their shit together and are somewhere in Malta, raising kids and having kinky sex.
> 
> Meanwhile, thank you for commenting and reading this story. I really appreciate it.


End file.
